HOW DO WE TREAT?

Biomechanics
- Video Gait Analysis
- Orthomed Scanner
- Biomechanical Examination
- Provision of bespoke Orthoses
For more information please click here

Manual Therapy
· Manipulation
· Mobilisation

Massage
· Soft Tissue release
· Rehabilitation
· Exercise Programme Specific to the Individual’s Problem
· Muscle Imbalance Correction
· Biomechanical Correction

Postural Training

Acupuncture

Electrotherapy
· Ultrasound
· Interferential
· Traction
· Tens

Ergonomic advice and training

WHAT DO WE TREAT?

TENNIS AND GOLFER’S ELBOW:

TENNIS ELBOW:

The medical name for Tennis elbow is ‘lateral epicondylitis’. It is the bony part you can feel on the outside of your elbow joint. It is often prominent and consequently it can easily be knocked, which causes soreness and bruising.
Different people experience varying degrees of pain ranging from a mild discomfort when the arm is used, to an ache severe enough to prevent them sleeping. The pain is made worse by gripping or twisting movements; the lateral epicondyle will feel tender, something you will notice, particularly if you catch your elbow.

GOLFER’S ELBOW:

A similar condition to tennis elbow can occur on the ‘medial (inside) epicondyle’ commonly known as the “funny-bone “. This has been called golfer’s elbow, although, again, it is by no means confined to those who enjoy a round of golf.

NECK PAIN AND HEADACHE:

NECK PAIN:

The neck contains the top end of the spinal column or spine, which supports the head and also protects the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the nervous tissue which runs from the brain, through the neck and down the back to the rest of the body.

Many people develop a stiff and painful neck for no obvious reason. Stiffness is common. It is painful to move and your muscles feel tight. Often it disappears after a few days. It may happen after sitting in a draught or after a minor twisting injury, for example while gardening. The underlying cause for this type of neck pain is not fully understood, so it is called ‘non-specific neck pain’.

HEADACHE:

Headache is usually caused by changes in pressure in the blood vessels feeding the brain which act on the nerves. There are different kind of headache and the most common are:
Migraine headache: very strong pain which can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual disturbance and vertigo.
Tension headache or muscular contraction headache: usually caused by worry or stress and thought to result from chronic contraction of the muscles of the scalp and neck.

WHIPLASH:

This type of injury often follows a rear-end collision in a car. In this type of collision, first the body is carried forward and the head flips backwards. Then, as the body stops, the head is thrown forwards .Although whiplash can badly damage your neck, the majority of people who suffer these shunt accidents do not have major damage. In most cases injuries feel better within a few weeks or months.

SHOULDER PROBLEMS:

A painful shoulder is quite a common condition and there are many possible reasons for it. Although it might seem odd, your shoulder pain could be due to trouble elsewhere. For example, a nerve being pinched by the vertebrae in tour neck could affect your shoulder. The most common cause of pain restricted only to the shoulder is the inflammation of the ‘soft tissue’ and tendons around the joint. The shoulder is a very mobile joint, and its mobility puts it under stress.

SPORTS INJURIES:

Sports injuries can be divided roughly into two categories:
A) ‘sudden ‘ injuries and B) harm caused by overdoing things.
Some activities, such as golf and snooker, require practice rather than training. But if you are taking part in one of the more active sports, you need systematic and sensible physical preparation.
Many acute injuries to joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments are accompanied by bleeding, swelling and pain. In these cases, treatment must be immediate.

THIGH AND GROIN PAIN

THIGH PAIN:

Injuries to the thigh are quite common in athletes. Muscle injuries predominate, such as contusion injuries which often occur in soccer. Muscle strains are common in explosive sports such as sprinting, involving especially the hamstring muscles.
Other causes of pain are stress fracture, sciatica or compartment syndromes.

GROIN PAIN:

It is one of the most difficult problems in sports medicine. A groin injury may be acute but if often leads to chronic pain with diffuse symptoms that are difficult to characterize, and these injuries are therefore often difficult to locate and to diagnose. The most common location for groin pain in the adductor muscle tendon region, and the pain is usually caused by overuse injuries involving the adductor longus muscle-tendon junction.
The most common cause of groin pain is strain of the adductor muscles of the leg at the tendon and muscle junctions. Groin strains are common in soccer and when injured it is particularly important that you warm up with a fast walk before you start with exercise. In order to achieve proper rehabilitation of your injury it is important to ensure the exercises are performed with good technique.

ANKLE AND FOOT PROBLEMS

ANKLE PROBLEM:

The most common problem for an ankle is its sprains .
Sprains or ligament injuries of the ankle joint occur frequently in both sporting and no-sporting situations. Injury to the ligaments will cause pain and inflammation and possibly limit future function if correct rehabilitation is not carried out.

FOOT PROBLEM:

The foot is composed of 26 different bones which are interconnected at approximately 30 joints and held together by ligaments and joint capsules. The foot has two axes around which movements can be made. One runs horizontally through the talus and is the axis for vertical movements at the ankle joint. The other axis runs diagonally, starting from behind the lower part of the calcaneus and extending forward and upward through the head of the talus.
The causes of foot injuries in running are multifactorial. Factors that influence the distribution of load include: anatomical features, body weight, shoe type, running surface, technique, and training program.
Nearly the 80 % of the population has foot problem that can be often be corrected by proper assessment, treatment and orthotics ( support foot wear ).

BIO MECHANICS AND FUNCTIONAL VIDEO-GATE ANALYSIS

· Biomechanical Assessment
· Video Gait Analysis with detailed report and clinical recommendations
· Provision of bespoke Orthotics
· Runners Screening

At AL.O Physiotherapy Clinic, as well as using the conservative hands on approach, we use the worlds first dynamic functional orthopaedic gait analysis system called Orthomed Scan.
This offers the ability to see the unseeable and to design treatment procedures based upon rapid capture of visual data.

As lower limb motion is very much time related, the system has incorporated into it five high speed colour cameras capturing pictures at 25 frames per second from different angles. This creates an opportunity to see foot and leg motion in a time related manner. In addition a built in geometric programme permits the accurate measurement of angular segmental relationship.

The data gathered by the scanner is used to produce a 3 dimensional digital model of the orthoses specific to the patient's requirements.

The orthoses are then manufactured at our high speed machining facility to accuracies far beyond any other method. The end result is a functional foot orthoses. By aligning the joint of the foot and the joints above it, the orthoses eliminates the damaging effects of poor foot or leg mechanics on other joints.

For more information, please click here.

LEG AND KNEE PROBLEMS

LEG PROBLEMS:
Also see Ankle, foot, groin, knee

LOWER LEG PROBLEMS:

Fractures of the lower leg occur most frequently in alpine skiers but also in cross country skiers, riders and participants in contact sports such as American football, soccer, rugby and ice hockey.
Lower leg fractures are not uncommon in motor sports.
The tibia and fibula may fracture simultaneously or separately. As a rule the injury is more serious if both bones are affected.

KNEE PROBLEMS:

The knee is a joint in the middle of the leg which joints the femur and the tibia. This joint is particularly susceptible to traumatic injury because it is located at the end of two long lever arms. The joint depends on its ligaments to such a great extent, it is imperative that the ligaments be tested during the examination of the knee. The knee is a complex area to access and we have to bear in mind that because the lumbar spine, hip, and ankle may refer pain to the knee, these joint must be assessed if it appears that joints other than the knee may be involved.

BACK PAIN AND SCIATICA

BACK PAIN:

”Sixty percent of adults suffer from back pain every year and half become chronic sufferers. Back pain is most often the result of poor posture, an injury or overuse, but there are other causes of back pain such as inflammation, and rarer, more serious problems such as progressive diseases affecting bones and joints. Physiotherapists are trained to diagnose problems in the joints and soft tissues of the body, and will carry out a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan for your particular problem. “Physiotherapy for back pain provides a wide range of treatments to relieve pain, promote relaxation and restore movement. They include manipulation, mobilisation and massage. Exercise may also be used to increase general fitness or to strengthen muscles which support the spine. If you are prone to back pain, a physiotherapist can also offer preventive advice.”

(The chartered society of physiotherapy)

LOW BACK PAIN:

It can occur in connection with most sports, and its precise cause is unknown. The symptoms often appear after lifting a heavy object or turning rapidly, but can also occur without previous exertion.

SCIATICA:

Pain that radiates from the lower back down one or other legs is known as sciatica. One of its most common causes is a ‘slipped disk’ which exerts pressure on one of the roots of the sciatic nerve.

“Sciatica is a common complaint related to the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body which runs from the pelvis down into the legs.

The main symptom is pain in the back or hips that radiates down the back of the leg or even into the ankle or foot.

REPETIVE STRAIN INJURY

“RSI is caused by repetitive movement leading to muscular pains or problems with nerves, ligaments and joints to the upper limbs. Usually work related, the incidence of RSI has risen dramatically with the use of word processors and other automated equipment, which need only a limited range of movement. Many groups of working people can be affected, including computer operators, typists, musicians, shop staff and factory workers. Physiotherapists are trained and experienced in treating muscle, nerve, joint and ligament complaints. After assessing the client’s posture, workplace, lifestyle and work patterns, they will devise a treatment programme. This may include stretching exercises, mobilisation and electrotherapy, such as ultrasound, to speed up the healing process. If treatment is delayed, RSI can take longer to clear up.” The chartered society of physiotherapy

Preventive physiotherapy advice plays vital role.

MUSCLE TENSION:

Soreness, with pain, tenderness, and sometimes swelling of the muscles, can appear after a few hours after strenuous training. The pain occurs during both active exercise and passive movements, and the muscles may feel weak.
In untrained individuals who are suddenly subjected to strenuous exertion, muscle changes appear in the form of tissue damage to the small elements of the muscle fiber.

ARM, WRIST AND HAND PROBLEMS
Also see Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow:

FOREARM:

The forearm serves as an anchoring point for the muscles and tendons that pass to the wrist and hand. As a result of external pressure or repetitive one-side movements, the extensor and flexor muscles of the forearm and their tendons and tendon sweaths are subject to overuse injury.
Fractures of the forearm can occur after a fall or a direct blow .

UPPERARM

Overuse injury of the long tendon of the biceps is usually secondary to another shoulder injury such as impingement or instability. The biceps injury is usually of a degenerative nature.
When degeneration of the tendon occurs, tenderness at the uppermost part of the extremity is very noticeable.

WRIST

Wrist problems are more common in hand – intensive sports. Most injuries are due to repetitive overuse. The wrist and hand are complex anatomic structures that allow a wide variety of positions and functions. This is necessary to carry out the complex tasks that are required from the hand, such as writing, grasping, and picking up very small items.
The wrist is composed of seven carpal bones that are joined together and stabilized by joint capsules and by ligamentous structures. Disruption of the ligaments generally requires high-energy trauma, but when it does occur it can be very debilitating.
In complex wrist fractures, the treatment is usually long but worthwhile.

HAND PROBLEM:

Our hands play a very important part in every day activities. They allow us to make fine movement and also to grip powerfully. The way joints functions in the hand are essential. If we are to maintain our independence, the joint in our hands must function properly. The most common problems are the following:
Carpal tunnel syndrome: This condition arises when there is a compression of the median nerve in the wrist. It may occur without any obvious cause, but it is also a frequent complication of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Tendon rupture: The muscles in the forearm move the fingers by acting through tendons that pass across the hand ad wrist. These tendons are lined with a similar material to that which lines joints and may be damaged by some forms of arthritis. For these reasons arthritis of the wrist may lead to the rupture of a tendon, and as a result movement of the affected finger will be impaired. Physiotherapy can assist to improve hand functions.

As much as we would like to indicate the number of sessions required for the different conditions, this proves difficult because its case is a case and depends upon the degree of severty.